Relief as Victor Dartnall’s yard gets all-clear

A Westcountry racehorse trainer whose yard had to be briefly closed, after an outbreak of a neurological horse virus, has now been given the all-clear.

Entries are able to be made again from Victor Dartnall’s stable following latest tests over an outbreak of equine herpes, the Barnstaple trainer said last night.

The yard at Higher Shutscombe, near Barnstaple, had been on lockdown since the middle of November but yesterday received positive news from the British Horseracing Authority.

An update from Mr Dartnall on his website, www.victordartnallracing.com, said: “The BHA have contacted us today to say we are now able to make entries and have runners.

“We are extremely relieved and looking forward to getting back to normal. Richard’s Sundance will probably be our first runner at Ffos Las next Monday. Thank you once again for all the support we have received over the past two weeks.”

The virus – known as EHV-1 – is a serious disease in horses involving inflammation of small blood vessels in the spinal cord and/or brain.